In the bizarre 12-minute call, Pedro Vargas, 42, described how he was being followed and threatened by people doing witchcraft against him. His mother, Esperanza Patterson, got on the phone and told the dispatcher her son was acting strangely. She said she wanted to get her son psychiatric help, but told the dispatcher not to send the two officers.

"He might think I'm his enemy," she said in Spanish.

The call was placed Friday at 1:37 p.m. At about 6:30 p.m., Vargas set the apartment on fire and killed the husband and wife building managers, a family of three and a man who was returning from his son's boxing practice.